Locked On Broncos - Daily Podcast On The Denver Broncos - MUST HAVE: Denver Broncos’ Rushing Attack Will DECIDE Sunday's AFC West Showdown vs. Chargers

Starting point is 00:00:00 Sunday's game is the biggest one for the Denver Broncos because they got to find a way to win regardless of facing an O and 4 Chargers team. You are locked on Broncos. Your daily Denver Broncos podcast. Part of the Locked on podcast network, your team every day. Happy Saturday Broncos country. Cody Rourke, Sarah Bedinger here. Grab a cup of coffee, grab a donut as we tell you about the things the Broncos need to do on Sunday to come away with a win. And the things that will happen that will lead to a loss on Sunday if they take. place against L.A. and then we'll share five fun, bold predictions here on today's bonus episode of the show that's brought to you by our friends over there at Fandu. Make this your most

Starting point is 00:00:44 rewarding season ever with Fandu Rewards Club every week. Check the Fandu at to see what's waiting for you. Sarah, I'm loving these bonus shows we're going to do here on Saturday because it kind of leads us into the final primer ahead of Sunday's matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers here. And I'm going to start things off here with you, my friend. We're going to answer the simple question. One key thing here in Broncos country, feel free to play along as you're listening here as well. The Broncos will win on Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers if. I think if they run the ball well, Cody, that's the biggest thing right now is what did Sean Peyton say after he took over play calling duties? He said they want to button up some of the

Starting point is 00:01:21 details offensively, but when he was kind of pressed a little bit further of why did you make this change, he said he wants more balance in running the football. So I think the Broncos will win on Sunday if they can run the football well. And I also noticed that J.K. Dobbins was answering some questions about whether or not he's 100% and not necessarily looking 100%. And so I have a feeling he's going to come out with a little bit of a chip on his shoulder to prove that he's, like he said, if I'm healthy enough to be out there,

Starting point is 00:01:48 I believe that I can be out there making plays. And so I think that after some questions have come up and now that he's kind of had to face the music a little bit about not looking healthy, I think maybe we're going to see JK out there running hard and. running well, as well as, you know, RJ Harvey kind of underrated, hitting a stride a little bit. I mean, I know it's obviously a lot in the passing game, but maybe those two guys really get going in this game.

Starting point is 00:02:10 We're trying to manifest some optimism here as well, Cody, manifesting positivity, but I think they do win on Sunday if they can run the ball effectively. Well, I've got a tangible number because that's actually kind of where I was going. Now, obviously, like, in these bonus shows, you and I do not talk about it beforehand. We don't talk about what our answer is going to be. The answer I have written down is the Broncos, will win on Sunday if they rush for 110 plus yards here in Sunday's game.

Starting point is 00:02:35 It feels like getting close to 100. It's been a little bit of a tough sled here for this Broncos offense. And I like that. Like I want to see here J.K. Dobbins, R.J. Harvey, kind of going back to what we saw in that Cincinnati Bengals game on Monday night football last year in week four. I want to see that duo here in the run game as Sean Payton, as we all know, has taken over play calling once again. How much of that changes?

Starting point is 00:02:56 Are we going to be sitting here talking about the same exact stuff going into next week. I hope that's not the case. I agree with you there. And maybe I'll throw a little bit of a wild card in there too as well. The Broncos will win on Sunday if Bo Nix pulls the trigger, plain and simple. Bo's got to have the confidence to be able to throw it to those intermediate levels of the field. Yes, you're going against Diane Henley, inside linebacker. He's always one of those guys you got to watch who kind of roam in that middle hook area of the field. But throw it, pull the trigger. If you know it's going to open up, it's anticipated, don't hesitate like we saw last week. I think if Bo Nix isn't hesitant in this game on Sunday.

Starting point is 00:03:31 Sarah, I think the Broncos will win. I absolutely agree, Cody. And I think with Sean Payton now taking over play calling and kind of just the staggering reality of the change that was made, you know, that could be a shock to the system. And, you know, what does even Bo Nix has talked about this before. Pressure either makes diamonds or pressure is going to cause you to implode. And so I think with Bo, the pressure has always been effective for him. It's been an effective method of getting the best out of him.

Starting point is 00:03:58 So I think now you feel that pressure as the starting quarterback of the team to go out there and make plays for your team. And so I agree, I think 100% go out there, Bo and pull the trigger, play with confidence and just believe that you can make that. We've seen you make those throws before. We've seen you make these plays before. Trust your receivers. Trust your playmakers.

Starting point is 00:04:19 Trust your eyes because he even said he feels like he's seeing the field really well. Well, if that's the case, then go out there. and just start rocket firing. Yeah, the Broncos need that confidence back here from number 10. And as you mentioned as well, like Bone Mix historical in the past, has mentioned pressure is a privilege, truly at the NFL level, truly a quarterback. That is a saying that is true here.

Starting point is 00:04:41 And the Broncos, they are facing some pressure here on Sunday because they're going up against an 0 and 4 team that is desperately looking to find some life and to get their first win on the season. Coming up next, Sarah and I are going to tell you that the Broncos will lose on Sunday if they do these things. Brockos Country. Today's episode, the show was brought to you by our friends over there at Ethos. And as you get older, like me, you start thinking about things that you might not have thought much about before, taking care of the people that you love, planning for the unexpected because it can hit it at any moment,

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Starting point is 00:05:54 Get your free quote at ethos.com slash locked on NFL. That is et hos.com slash locked on NFL. Today's show is also brought to you by our friends over there at Fandua. A Fandu is America's number one sports book. And right now they want to welcome you to the most rewarding NFL season ever only on Fandul. How rewarding are we talking? More rewarding than a Broncos road win against the charters in a game where they are three and a half point road favorites.

Starting point is 00:06:20 We know Broncos country travels well. Is it more rewarding than an 18-point comeback? We've certainly seen this. Denver Broncos team do that quite a bit, maybe even more rewarding than an offensive lineman catching a touchdown. Frank Crumb did that last year. Could the Broncos maybe do that this week against the Los Angeles charts? Well, this season,

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Starting point is 00:06:54 the spread, and so much more. You make this your most rewarding season ever with Fandul. Visit Fandul.com to get started. We already mentioned a few things that need to go right in order for the Broncos to win on Sunday, but also you've got to acknowledge the reality that things could potentially go wrong. The Broncos have struggled against the Los Angeles Chargers, specifically in L.A., the last handful of years under Sean Payton, but specifically even more so with Bo Nix at the.

Starting point is 00:07:20 quarterback position. He's yet to win head to head against Justin Herbert in a matchup. So Cody, the Broncos, they are, I don't even like to say these words. I don't like these words come out. I'm out. Broncos will lose on Sunday if these things happen. Well, if they rush for 80 or fewer yards, that's the number, right? That's where I'm kind of at right now. If the Broncos rush for less than 80 yards or 80 yards unless they are going to lose here on Sunday because then that means the offense once again was one dimensional. They have to have balance here. And I, I know, I know it sounds cliche to say, well, if they don't run the ball well, they're not going to win. Of course.

Starting point is 00:07:53 Of course not, though. But it's about being able to play complimentary football between your offense, defense, and special teams, and the best way to complement your defense, those time-consuming drives where not only are you running the ball well and you're moving the chains for a first down, but you're controlling the time of possession. You want an eight or 10-play drive that takes around seven minutes off the clock. I mean, that keeps your defense fresh and allows them to go out there and pin their ears back, especially if you can convert those into touchdown scoring drives. I know field goals are great, no, but you need touchdown drives here.

Starting point is 00:08:23 But if the Broncos can't run the ball or they refuse to and come away from this game, Sarah, with 80 or less rushing yards, they're going to lose here on Sunday. And I hope that that trend does not take place. Yeah, I think that's a great point. And those are great figures to be looking at as well with the running game. I think they lose on Sunday, Cody. I'm putting the pressure on Bo Nix squarely. I think if Bo Nix does not break through, if Bo Nix does not break out of the funk that he was in

Starting point is 00:08:48 against the 49ers, because we, You know, he played really well in the second half of the Rams game. He played really well for the most part against the Jaguars. It's not like he hasn't had any good throws or good games this season. So it's not like he's played four straight bad games to start the year. I don't want to paint that picture. But I do feel like after that 49ers game, Bo Nix has to go out there and be the reason why the Broncos win. So I think he could also be the biggest reason why they ultimately lose this game.

Starting point is 00:09:15 Here's something that I found really fascinating, Cody. and I think speaks to maybe an intangible feeling that I've had about Bo. He doesn't look like he's been himself out there this season, right? I think that's maybe fair to say. He still made some plays, but here's some numbers to kind of back that up. The first four games of Bo Nix's NFL career in 2024, he ran for 110 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The second season, his first four games last year, 2025, he ran for 78 yards and a touchdown.

Starting point is 00:09:46 this year, Bo Nix has in four games, 25 rushing yards. I mean, if that doesn't paint a picture of, okay, something is not the same about this guy, I think that does it for me. I mean, that's a huge decrease, especially from his rookie season, but even from last year. I mean, that's a, that's a, what, 66, 67% decrease from what you had at this point last season, Bo Nix, we need Bo Nix, the playmaker out there for this game against the L.A. We need Bo Nix to be out there playing fast, playing free, having fun, smiling on the sidelines, jawing with the other.

Starting point is 00:10:23 I know he's done a lot of that stuff still this season, but against the 49ers, it just felt and looked a little bit miserable. And I know that rushing yards from Bo are not the end all, be all. But I will say, I think it speaks volumes to how loose he's playing out there when he is running around. And so you don't want questions about the ankle. Go out there and run around and make plays with your legs. not just running and rushing yards, but making throws on the run as well.

Starting point is 00:10:51 So I think that 25 rushing yards to the first four games this season, I think paints a picture that we haven't seen the same guy out there. Yeah, well said too, because it does seem like there has been a little bit more hesitancy to run the football, right? Even on the scramble he had last week against San Francisco, it's almost like he's running around and he's waiting for the block to develop versus just going out there and running north-south, just get as many positive yards as you can.

Starting point is 00:11:15 There's been some missed opportunities. on the field for him to use that right. And look, I understand if there's this mental journey that he's still going through with the ankle specifically, I think when you have to weigh, do I dive? Do I slide here? Well, I got to make sure I slide right because you can also screw your ankle up if you don't slide the right way. And, you know, you get caught in some weird kind of situation here. So I understand that, but I agree with you, Sarah. Got to see Bo use his legs a lot more outside of just the scramble drill and extending plays in the passing game with his legs, use his legs if the opportunity opens up, especially against this Los Angeles Chargers defense here. Broncos country, make sure you share with us what your thoughts are.

Starting point is 00:11:49 The Broncos will lose on Sunday if they do what. Make sure you drop that here on today's episode of the show. But coming up next, Sarah and I are going to play a fun little game here. We don't know each other's answers, but we're going to share five bold predictions that we have for Sunday's game against L.A. Today's show is brought to you by our friends over there at Temple in October, November. It gets chaotic fast between Halloween, football, Thanksgiving prep, and everything else that's filling up on the calendar. cooking dinner can easily become the first thing to go. I'm moving to a new house here in the next three weeks.

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Starting point is 00:14:47 Sarah, I'm going to start off with you. You get to do the honors this week. Now, we're going to alternate, right? You know, when we have five bold predictions and we don't know what any of our choices are going into this, this week you'll get to choose three. I'll choose two. Next week, I'll get three and you get two. I'm going to do the honors to you.

Starting point is 00:15:02 Where are you starting off with here in terms of a fun, bold prediction for Denver's game on Sunday here against L.A.? Well, my first bold prediction, and once again, we've got to qualify this, right? These are sort of manifestations of positivity here. So stick with me on this one. But I'm going to say at least one touchdown in all four quarters for the Broncos offense in this game. I know that the offense has obviously been a focus for the whole season right now. They've been bad.

Starting point is 00:15:28 They've been just disconnected, discombobulated, whatever word you, whatever adjective you want to use. It hasn't been good for the Broncos. So how about we flip the script and say, hey, they score at least one touchdown in each of the four quarters of this? this game and obviously on route to a victory in this game, but the offense getting back on track in a big way. And you're telling me a touchdown in each quarter. That's 28 points at least at a minimum right here. I like it.

Starting point is 00:15:53 I think that's a bold prediction. And man, if that happens, if the Broncos can score 28 points in this game, I feel like they will win, Sarah. I think that's a good one to start off with. I'm going to go with something I gave a little bit in yesterday's show. I'm going to go through and say that Jayquan Macmill. This is the Jayquine Macmill game. Jay Mack is going to come away from this game against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Starting point is 00:16:10 he's going to have one sack on Justin Herbert, and he's going to have an interception in this game here specifically. I think especially with PS2 and with Riley Moss out of the mix, Jay Kwan's going to be that guy. I think the defense, at least at the cornerback position, they're going to be looking to because you're going to have Abrams, Drain and Jaday Barron in, but it's going to be up to Jemak to lead the charge here for that room. And I think this is going to be a big game for Jemak.

Starting point is 00:16:32 Yes, it's bold, but I also think it's fun. And I think it's very realistic because the last time the Broncos were in a game without PS2, Jaquam McBillan had two sacks on Patrick Mahomes and an interception. So you know what? It's time for him to carry on over now to Justin Herbert. I believe he also had a pick six against the Chargers in the regular season finale last year, Cody. So I know the Chargers are kind of his team. He should have had a pick six in his very first Ennofo game, which was against the Chargers as well.

Starting point is 00:17:00 So maybe this is his team that he's the boogeyman for. I love that. I'm going to go. So here's kind of a, this is just off the wall a little bit, all right? I think every player on the Broncos backfield. So I'm talking about Boe Nix, J.K. Dobbins, R.J. Harvey, Tyler Badeh, Adam Prentice. I think each one of them is going to have at least a first down run in this game. And I'm going to say the top three guys, Bo, J.K, and then RJ are going to have at least 50 yards rushing.

Starting point is 00:17:29 So I know that's a lot. I know that's a lot for a bold prediction there. But I'm saying all five of those guys have at least a first down. and I think honestly, top three guys, 50 plus rushing yards each. We talked about Bo Nix not running the ball. Only 25 rushing yards to the first four games. I think this is going to be a year where we see him escape the pocket a little bit. He creates with his legs.

Starting point is 00:17:49 J.K. Dobbins gets over 50 yards. R.J. Harvey gets over 50 yards on the ground. But Day has a first down run, or first down run. Prentice has a first down or a touchdown run. I think we're going to see all of that against the Chargers. Wow. Okay. So you're saying that Bo, J.K. and RJ are each going to have.

Starting point is 00:18:05 50 yards rushing. So Denver collectively, okay, that kind of goes into our thing. Like that goes back to my thing that the Broncos win if they get over 110 yards rushing. Well, there you go. You have it right there. I like it. I like it. Speaking bold, that that leaves us at three. Now we get to number four here, Sarah. And for me, you know, I was having a lot of fun last week on special teams. I said that last week, Jeremy Crosswood had a punt that would land at the one yard line. A penalty screwed me of that opportunity. But this week, I'm going to say a Chargers punt returner muffs a punt this week and the Broncos recover it. That's going to be one of my bold predictions.

Starting point is 00:18:38 Ooh, I like that. There's nothing better or more satisfying than a muffed punt that just sets you up with, you know, a perfect short field. You know, you get an easy touchdown drive potentially out of it. I always love it when the Broncos are on that side of the muffed puns. Not so much like against, I know it wasn't a muffed punt, but when Marvin fumbled against the 49ers, you don't love that side of it all that much. But I think we see it.

Starting point is 00:19:00 I like that, Cody. I like that prediction. I'm going to go to the defensive side for my last one here because I haven't touched on a defensive prediction yet. We know the Chargers offensive line has been patchwork. So my last prediction here is going to be, I think this is the get right game for Nick Bonito. I think we start to see a little bit of him heating up.

Starting point is 00:19:18 I know he's probably ticked off. I'm sure you've talked to him, Cody, or seen him in the locker room. I don't think he likes not being at the top of the list when it comes to the SAC department in the NFL. So I think maybe, If we're talking bold, we've got to say three plus, right? I can't just be like, well, Nick Benito have a sack or two.

Starting point is 00:19:36 We're going bold. So three plus sacks for Nick Benito in this game and he goes off. Man, I love it here. In Broncos country, I mean, please share with us your thoughts. Give us your bold predictions here for Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Chargers. We're playing manifest destiny here as the Broncos look to be going to three and two versus two and three against a winless chargers team. It's up to the Broncos right now.

Starting point is 00:19:59 find a way to bury these guys here on Sunday. And that'll wrap up today's bonus episode of the show. Broncos Country, enjoy your coffee. Enjoy the donuts. And if you haven't gotten a donut or a coffee, go out and get one and say lockdown Broncos sent you here. Enjoy that here today. And Sarah and I,

Starting point is 00:20:13 we will be back tomorrow for the post game show, following the Broncos and Chargers game. Then you'll get the Squatcho. You're going to get so much content here. There's nobody that does it quite like we do. So we thank you so much for making us your first listen and party your day every single day. If you're a brand new viewer listener and you like what you heard,

Starting point is 00:20:28 you like the conversation, We bring this for you every single day. Seven days a week, you get a show. So make sure you hit that subscribe or that follow button so you never miss out on what's going on with your favorite team. Sarah and I, we will see you tomorrow for the post game.

Locked On Broncos - Daily Podcast On The Denver Broncos - MUST HAVE: Denver Broncos’ Rushing Attack Will DECIDE Sunday's AFC West Showdown vs. Chargers

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